Buckle attaching apparatus



y 1966 c. LEHMAN ET AL 3,252,209

BUCKLE ATTACHING APPARATUS Filed May 25, 1965 5 Sheets-Sheet l Char/e: L. Le/7/770/7 W////0/77 McGee INVENTORS BY ,W W)

A rroAm f y;

BUCKLE ATTACHING APPARATUS Filed May 25, 1965 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Ail? (fiar/es Z. Lehman l V////am 4/. McGee INVENTORS BY- I $5M ATTOR/VEVJ May 24, 1966 c. L. LEHMAN ET AL 3,252,209

BUCKLE ATTACHING APPARATUS Filed May 23, 1963 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Char/e: L. 16/7/7700 W////0/77 c/. Mee

INVENTORJ BY WM ATTO/P/VEVJ United States Patent 3,252,209 BUCKLE ATTACHING APPARATUS Charles L. Lehman, Rte. 3, Box 53, Corpus Christi, Tex., and William J. McGee, Box 227, Chapman Ranch, Tex. Filed May 23, 1963, Ser. No. 282,783 8 Claims. ((129-212) This invention relates to apparatus for attaching buckles to straps, such as ties used in the baling of cotton, and wherein the buckles are of a type having a slot therethrough to receive the strap. More particularly, it relates to improvements upon the general type of buckle attaching apparatus shown and described in a copending application, Serial No. 148,967, filed October 31, 1961, now Patent No. 3,182,386, by William I. McGee, and entitled Buckle Attaching Apparatus.

In this type of apparatus, a buckle is delivered to a substantially upright supported position on a base so as to dispose the slot therein to receive one end of the strap as the strap is moved longitudinally into its supported position on the base. An arm on the base is then swung upwardly and over the support for the strap to bend such one end down upon a portion of the strap on the other side of the buckle.

When the slot in the buckle is of such size as to closely receive the strap, the buckle must be free to swing from its substantially upright position into a relatively flat position in substantial alignment with the strap as the latter is bent by the swinging arm. Also, the buckle must in some way be held against displacement from its supported position by the strap as the end thereof is moved through the buckle slot. In the apparatus of the earlier application above mentioned, this was possible by a cradle support for the buckle which was free to swing with the buckle during bending of the strap and a small magnet on one side of a cradle for holding the buckle upright during insertion of the strap.

An object of this invention is to provide such apparatus having a simplified cradle for supportingthe buckle and particularly one which requires neither magnets nor a swingable mounting so that it is relatively inexpensive to manufacture and relatively free from disrepair.

Another object is to provide such apparatus having a mechanism for delivering buckles to the support therefor which is also of simplified construction in that it requires no springs or other extraneous parts and which is disposed out of the way of the moving parts of the apparatus, including a bending arm and hammer similar to those employed in the apparatus in the earlier application.

In the drawings, wherein like reference characters are used throughout to designate like parts:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a strap having a buckle attached thereto by means of apparatus constructed in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of such apparatus as a buckle is being moved into a position on the cradle on the base thereof for receiving a strap through the slot in the buckle;

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG, 2, but in which the strap has been moved into supported position on the base of the apparatus and into the slot in the buckle and the bending arm and hammer have been swung up and over the base so as to bend and then hammer the one end of the strap received through the buckle slot down upon a portion thereof on the other side of the buckle;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view of the apparatus of FIGS. 2 and 3, prior to actuation of the bending arm and hammer, but subsequent to movement of a buckle into the cradle and showing a strap in broken lines in its supported position on the base;

FIG. 5 is another sectional view similar to FIG. 4, but

during swinging of the bending arm to lift the lower edge of the buckle from retaining flange of the cradle;

FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIGS. 4 and 5, but upon full swinging of the bending arm and hammer, as shown in FIG. 3, to bend an end of the strap down and hammer it upon a portion thereof on the other side of the buckle and swing the buckle into alignment with the strap;

FIG. 7 is a front end elevation view of the apparatus in the position shown in FIG. 2;

FIG. 8 is a sectional view of a rear portion of the apparatus, as seen along broken line 8-8 of FIG. 4; and

FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of the apparatus, as seen along broken line 99 of FIG. 4, and showing the buckle cradle as well as themechanism for delivering a buckle from a chute into the cradle.

With reference now to the details of the above-described drawings, the buckle 10 shown in FIG. 1 has a slot 11 therein to closely receive the strap 12. This slot is disposed toward an edge of the buckle over which the end portion 13 of the strap is bent onto and adjacent the, portion 14 thereof. art of baling cotton, these straps or ties 12 are made of a relatively stiff metal which requires that the bent ends thereof be hammered onto the portions 14 in order to securely attach thebuckle thereto. As also known to those skilled in this art, when the buckle 10 is so attached to the strap, the strap is wrapped about the bale as the bale is held in a compressed condition and the other end of such strap is bent upon itself and looped sideways into another slot 15 in the buckle. When the bale is allowed to expand, the fold on the other end of the strap will be pressed beneath an adjacent portion of the strap so as to completely encircle the bale.

As shown in the other figures of the drawings, the apparatus 16 for attaching the buckle to the strap in the manner indicated in FIG. 1 comprises a base 17 having legs 18 adapted to be supported on asubstantially horizontal surface 19 and a base 20 mounted on the upper end of the legs. The legs taper downwardly and outwardly from the base and are reinforced by cross-bracing :1 so as to provide a secure and firm support for the ase.

The base 20 includes side plates 22 each extending longitudinally between the front and rear legs 18 and front and rear plates 23 and 24, respectively, extending between each pair of front and rear legs. As best shown in FIGS. 4 to 6 and 9, an anvil 25 extends laterally across the forward end of the base intermediate upper edges of the side walls 22 so as to provide a substantially horizontal surface 26 on its upper side for supporting the strap 14.

More particularly, the strap is supported in the longitudinally extending position shown int-he drawingsby means of guide rails 27 secured to thetop side of an vil 25 and on opposite sides of the strap supporting surface 26 by means of bolts 28. The longitudinal movement of the strap 14 into mounted position, and in a direction toward the rear end of the base of the apparatus, is limited by engagement of its end with a stop 29 welded or otherwise secured to a flange 30 on the base 20 so as to dispose its upperend just above a longitudinal continuation of the strap supporting surface 26. The position of this stop 29 may be adjusted, as desired, to determine the length of the portion 13 of the strap to be bent over upon itself.

The cradle 31 for supporting the buckle 10 in position to receive the strap 12 through the slot 11 thereof includes a plate 32 secured as by welding to the rear end of anvil 25 and extending downwardly therefrom to provide a rearwardly facing surface 33 against which a side of the buckle 10 is supported when such'buckle is moved into the cradle, in a manner to be described Patented May 24, 1966 As well known to those skilled in the hereinafter. More particularly, the cradle also includes plates 34 and 35 which are secured by bolts 36 or the like to the plate 31 beneath the buckle supporting surface 33. The upper end edge of plate 34 provides a surface 37' for supporting the lowermost edge of the buckle, as shown in FIG. 4, with the slot 11 therein disposed in substantial alignment with the strap supporting surface 26 so that the strap moves freely into the slot. The outer plate 35, on the other hand, has a flange on its upper end which extends above the bottom surface 37' of the cradle for disposal relatively close to the lower front edge of the buckle in the supported position of FIG. 4. This flange together with a leg 35a depending from one of the guides 27 adjacent the back side of the upper edge of the buckle will prevent the buckle from being dislodged from its supported position because of the engagement of the strap with the slot or surrounding portions of the buckle by the strap 14 as it is moved into supported position.

As in the apparatus shown and described in the aforementioned copending application, there is a right angle shaped bending arm 37 swingably mounted upon an axle 38 between the side walls 22 of the base and beneath the anvil for swinging in a counterclockwise direction (FIGS. 2 to 6) between the position of FIG. 4, in which a roller 39 on the outer end of the arm is disposed beneath the strap 14 rearwardly of the anvil 25, and the position of FIG. 6, wherein the roller 39 has bent the end portion 13 of thestrap downwardly toward the portion 14 thereof resting upon the anvil surface 26. As was also the case in the earlier apparatus, a hammer 40 is pivotally connected on an axle 41 between the side walls 22 of the base and rearwardly of axle 38 so as to permit the hammer to swing between the position of FIG. 4 in which the head 44 of the hammer is above and rearwardly of the end of the strap and the position i of FIG. 6, in which latter position the head has engaged the strap portion 13 rearwardly of the roller 39.

As shown in FIGS. 2, 3 and 7 to 9, the axles 38 and 39 are connected together for rotation with one another by means of sprockets 42 and 43 connected thereto and a chain drive 44a extending about the sprockets. In this manner, the swinging movement of the head 44 of the hammer is coordinated with the swinging movement of the roller 39 on the bending arm 37 so as to prevent premature engagement of the hammer with the portion 13 of the strap. Thus, as described in the earlier application, very little of the energy of the hammer is required in bending this portion of the strap into its finally secured position.

The bending arm and hammer may be actuated by any suitable means, such as the foot treadle 45 suspended from the apparatus by means of a strap 46 and connected to the sprocket 43 by suitable linkage 47. Thus, upon depression of the foot peddlefrom the position of FIG. 2 to the position of FIG. 3, as by means of the foot 48 of the operator, each of the bending arm and hammer are caused to swing from the inactive positions of FIG. 4 to the active positions of FIG. 6. The bending arm and hammer are urged back to their FIG. 4 position by the counterweight 44b on the end of the hammer.

During swinging of the bending arm 37 from the position of FIG. 4 to that of FIG. 5, the strap will lift the buckle 10 from a position in which its lower edge is beneath the flange to the position shown in FIG. 5, in which such lower edge is free of the retainer and the upper edge of the buckle engages at each opposite side with the strap guides 27. More particularly, the rearward ends of the guides are relieved orrecessed at 49 to provide horizontally and vertically extending bearing surfaces facing downwardly and rearwardly, respectively, with respect to the base of the apparatus. Thus, the upper edge of the buckle in effect pivots about the corner formed by these bearing surfaces, as can be seen from FIG. 5, so that the entire buckle will swing in a c-ounterv clockwise direction to its secured position of FIG. 6, wherein it is disposed in substantial alignment with the strap.

As shown in FIGS. 4 to 6, there is a notch 50 on the face of the hammer head 44 and toward the rearward end thereof when the hammer engages the strap. Thus, as can be seen from FIG. 6, this notch will accommodate the portion of the loop in the strap which is formed about the edge of the buckle adjacent the slot 11, so that the hammer will not strike the bent-over portion of the strap along an edge of the buckle, and thereby possibly crease the strap to such an extent that it could break loose from the buckle. More particularly, this notch limits the size of the loop which might otherwise balloon out so as to loosely and insecurely attach the buckle to the strap. This, of course, results from the fact that, as also shown in FIG. 6, the inner edge of the notch engages the strap just a short distance from the edge of the buckle adjacent to slot 11.

The buckles to be attached are contained within a chute 51 which, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, extends upwardly and rearwardly from the base 20 of the machine at an angle of approximately 30. Due to this inclination of the chute, the buckles, which are retained on edge in side-by-side relation therein, are fed by gravity into a portion of the guideway 52 secured to and extending laterally from the side of the base. More particularly, the open lower end of the chute terminates adjacent the rear side of the guideway, so that the lowermost buckle in the chute is free to merely drop into the guideway and at the same time hold the remaining buckles above it within the chute. In order to overcome the influence of friction and other tendencies for the buckles to jam in the chute, a portable weight 53 may be disposed therein above the uppermost buckle for normally urging them down into the guideway. Preferably, the top side of p the chute is open to facilitate loading of the buckles and weight. Obviously, the chute may be secured to the base in any suitable manner, such as by and through attachment to the guideway 52 which is, in turn, directly connected to the base.

Thus, the guideway 52 includes a front plate 54 welded or otherwise secured to the rearward end of the anvil 25 on the base and extending outwardly a suflicient distance to dispose a portion of it beneath the end of the chute so as to support a side of the lowermost buckle in the chute. Tracks 55 and 56 are secured to and extend from the upper and loweredges of the plate 54 to guidably receive a plate 57 for shifting laterally between the position best shown in FIG. 9, in which the innermost end of the plate is disposed outwardly of the chute 51, and another position (not shown) in which the plate is moved inwardly to dispose such inner end next to the adjacent side of the buckle support. This shifting plate is of substantially the same thickness as a buckle so that, during this movement, its inner edge will engage only the buckle which has dropped from the lower end of the chute and move it into supported position on the cradle 31, as shown by the buckle 10a in FIG. 9. At the same time, the plate will retain the other buckles in the chuteuntil, upon return movement to the position of FIG. 9, it will free a subsequent buckle-for dropping from the chute into the guideway. As best shown in FIG. 9, there is a flange 57a extending upwardly from the plate 34 to engage the opposite side edge of the buckle 10a as it is moved onto the cradle and thereby locate it laterally on the cradle. Obviously, the plate and flange may be adjusted to accommodate different sizes of buckles.

More particularly, the guideway includes plates 54 and 57 which are disposed at substantially a right angle with respect to the inclination of the chute 51 so that each buckle will drop into place within the guideway with a minimum of interference. That is, there is no necessity for the buckle to be oriented in any way as it moves from the chute into the guideway. Also, the bearing surface 33 of the cradle is at least substantially aligned with these guideway plates so that, similarly to such plates, it

is disposed at an angle of substantially 60 with respect to the substantially horizontal surface 26 of the anvil which supports the strap. More particularly, this hearing surface of the cradle extends upwardly and forwardly with respect to the base so that the buckle supported thereon is inclined upwardly from its lower edge when supported in the cradle.

The buckle-moving plate 57 of the guideway is caused to reciprocate between the positions described by any suitable means, such as a handle 58 connected by pivotal linkage between the front side of the plate 57 and one side wall 22 of the base (see FIG. 7 as well as FIGS. 2 and 3). Thus, the handle 58 extends rearwardly from the guideway 52 and to one side of the base 20 so that it may be easily manipulated from the front end of the apparatus by the hand 59 of the operator of the apparatus who also actuates the foot treadle 45.

Reviewing now the over-all operation of the device, and assuming that there is a buckle in the guideway but not within the cradle 31, the operator first actuates handle 58 to move the inner end of the plate 57 in an inward direction from the position of FIG. 9 so as to engage the outer edge of buckle 10 and move it onto the cradle 31, as'shown by the buckle 10a. At this time, the operator would preferably swing the handle back in the opposite direction so as to return the inner edge of the plate 57 to a position outwardly of the inner end of the chute, whereby another buckle is free to drop into place withinthe guideway for subsequent movement by means of the plate 57 onto the cradle 31.

At this time, the operator moves the strap 12 longitudinally into place between the guides 27 so that its inner end passes through the slot 11 in the buckle 10, as shown in FIG. 4. When the strap has been moved the desired distance to engage its innermost end with the stop 29, the inner portion 13 of the strap will be disposed above the roller 39 on the bending arm 37. While holding the strap firmly against the stop 29, the operator then depresses the foot treadle 45, as shown in FIG. 3, so as to swing the bending arm and hammer from their positions of FIG. 4 into their positions of FIG. 6. During such swinging, the arm 37 will bend the portion 13 of the strap downwardly toward another portion 14 thereof and the hammer will engage the bent over portion and secure it downwardly upon said portion 14. As has also been de scribed, the buckle 10 will, during this bending of the strap, be lifted upwardly from its supported position on the cradle 31 and caused to pivot approximately 60 into the position of FIG. 6 wherein it is disposed substantially fiat and in alignment with the strap 12. When the operator then relieves the pressure from the treadle 45, the bending arm and hammer will automatically return to the position of FIG. 4, and the operator can lift the strap 12 with the buckle attached thereto upwardly from the anvil.

From the foregoing it will be seen that this invention is one well adapted to attain all of the ends and objects hereinabove set forth, together with other advantages which are obvious and which are inherent to the apparatus.

It will be understood that certain features and subcombinations are of utility and may be employed without reference to other'features and subcombinations. This is contemplated by and is within the scope of the claims.

As many possible embodiments may be made of the invention without departing from the scope thereof, it is to be understood that all matter herein set forth or shown in the accompanying drawings is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

The invention having been described, what is claimed is:

1. Apparatus for attaching a buckle to a strap, wherein the buckle has a slot to receive'the strap, comprising a base adapted to be supported on a substantially horizontal surface, means on the base to support the strap in longitudinally extending relation and to support the buckle in a position to receive the strap through the slot in said buckle as the strap is moved longitudinally into its supported position, means for securing an end of the strap on one side of the buckle over upon a portion thereof on the other side of the buckle, and a buckle guideway extending laterally from one side of the buckle support means, a buckle chute extending substantially longitudinally of the base and intersecting with the guideway to one side of the buckle support means to deliver buckles thereto, and means for moving the so delivered buckle laterally through said guideway onto the buckle support means, said chute extending upwardly from its intersection with the guideway in a direction that the strap is moved into supported position and at an angle of less than 45 with respect to the horizontal, and said guideway being inclined at approximately a right angle with respect to the upward extension of the chute.

2. Apparatus of the character defined in claim 1, wherein said buckle moving means comprises a plate in the guideway for engaging along a side edge of the buckle upon delivery of the buckle to said guideway, and a handle on the plate for sliding the plate laterally in the guideway in one direction to shift the buckle onto its support means and in the other direction to permit another buckle to be delivered from said chute to said guideway. a

3. Apparatus of the character defined in claim 1, wherein the support means for the buckle comprises a cradle having a buckle supporting surface aligned with and inclined at the same angle as the guideway, said chute extends at an angle of about to the horizontal, and the means for securing an end of the strap comprises a bending arm and a hammer successively engage-able with said end of the strap.

4. Apparatus for attaching a buckle to a strap, wherein thebuckle has a slot to closely receive the strap, comprising a base having a forward end and a rearward end and adapted to be supported on a substantially horizontal surface, means on the base for supporting the strap in a position extending longitudinally of the base, means on the base to support the buckle at an acute angle which extends downwardly and rearwardly from the strap supporting means and in a position to receive the strap throughthe slot as the strap is moved longitudinally into supported position from the forward end of said base, an arm swingably mounted on the base for bending an end of the strap on one side of the buckle over upon a portion thereof on the other side of the buckle, said buckle support means including a cradle having a transversely extending surface just beneath the strap supporting means and against which a side of the buckle is adapted to lie, a bottom surface to support the lower edge of thebuckle with the slot thereof disposed to receive the strap, and a flange adjacent the bottom surface of the cradle and spaced rearwardly from the first-mentioned surface to retain the lower edge of the supported buckle, another flange on the base above the strap supporting means to limit swinging of the buckle about its lower edge and away from said first-mentioned surface of the cradle as the strap is moved through the buckle slot, and a stop on the base disposed above the strap supporting means and forwardly ,of the last-mentioned flange for hearing against the upper edge of the buckle as said buckle is lifted from the bottom surface of the cradle when the one end of the strap is initially bent by the swinging arm, said stop beingspaced a sufficient distance above the first-mentioned flange to permit the lower edge of the buckle to be lifted therefrom during said initial bending of the strap so that the buckle may swing into substantial alignment with the strap upon further bending of said strap.

5. Apparatus of the character defined in claim 4, Wherein said strap supporting means includes an anvil having a substantially horizontal support surface and a pair of spaced-apart, longitudinally extending guides on the anvil between which the strap is received, and said stop comprises parts on each guide.

6. Apparatus of the character defined in claim 4, Wherein the second-mentioned flange is mounted on one of said guides.

7. Apparatus for attaching a buckle to a strap, wherein the buckle has a slot to receive the strap, comprising a base adapted to be supported on a substantially horizontal surface, means on the base to support the strap in longitudinally extending relation and to support the buckle in a position to receive the strap through the slot in said buckle as the strap is moved longitudinally into its supported position, means for securing an end of the strap on one side of the buckle over upon a portion thereof on the other side of the buckle, and a buckle guideW-ay extending laterally from one side of the buckle support means, a buckle chute extending substantially longitudinally of the base and intersecting with the guideway to one side of the buckle support means to deliver buckles thereto, and means for moving the so delivered buckle laterally through said guideway onto the buckle support means, said chute extending upwardly from its intersection with the guideway at an acute angle with respect 0 the horizontal, and said guideway being inclined at approximately a right angle with respect to the upward extension of the chute.

8. Apparatus for attaching a buckle to a strap, wherein the buckle has a slot to closely receive the strap, comprising a base having a forward end and a rearward end position from the forward end of the base, an arm swingably mounted on the base for bending an end of the strap on one side of the buckle over upon a portion thereof on the other side of the buckle, means on the base for engaging the rearward side of the supported buckle above and below the slot therein so as to prevent said buckle from being displaced as said strap is moved into supported position, said means for so engaging the buckle above the slot comprising laterally spaced apart members between which the bent end of the strap may be received, and said means for so engaging the buckle below the slot comprising a laterally extending member over which the lower supported edge of the buckle is raised and swung into substantial alignment with the strap during bending of the strap, and additional means on the base for hearing against the upper edge of the buckle to limit forward movement of said buckle when the lower supported edge thereof has been raised above said laterally extending member and during continued bending of the strap, said additional means also comprising laterally spaced apart members between which the bent end of the strap may be received.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 7 1,128,517 2/1915 Rodgers 2933 2,436,806 3/1948 Hunt 29-566 2,612,203 9/1952 Smida 29-24357 2,627,889 2/1953 Morrison 29243.57 3,006,398 10/1961 Hatch 29-243.57

CHARLES W. LANHAM, Primary Examiner.

W. H. JUST, Assistant Examiner. 

1. APPARATUS FOR ATTACHING A BUCKLE TO A STRAP, WHEREIN THE BUCKLE HAS A SLOT TO RECEIVE THE STRAP, COMPRISING A BASE ADAPTED TO BE SUPPORTED ON A SUBSTANTIALLY HORIZONTAL SURFACE, MEANS ON THE BASE TO SUPPORT THR STRAP IN LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING RELATION AND TO SUPPORT THE BUCKLE IN A POSITION TO RECEIVE THE STRAP THROUGH THE SLOT IN SAID BUCKLE AS THE STRAP IS MOVED LONGITUDINALLY INTO ITS SUPPORTED POSITION, MEANS FOR SECURING AN END OF THE STRAP ON THE SIDE OF THE BUCKLLE OVER UPON A PORTION THEREOF ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE BUCKLE, AND A BUCKLE GUIDEWAY EXTENDING LATERALLY FROM ONE SIDE OF THE BUCKLE SUPPORT MEANS, A BUCKLE CHUTE EXTENDING SUBSTANTIALLY LONGITUDINALLY OF THE BASE AND INTERSECTING WITH THE GUIDEWAY TO ONE SIDE OF THE BUCKLE SUPPORT MEANS TO DELIVER BUCKLES THERETO, AND MEANS FOR MOVING THE SO DELIVERED BUCKLE LATERALLY THROUGH SAID GUIDEWAY ONTO THE BUCKLE SUPPORT MEANS, SAID CHUTE EXTENDING UPWARDLY FROM ITS INTERSECTION WITH THE GUIDEWAY IN A DIRECTION THAT THE STRAP IS MOVED INTO SUPPOTED POSITION AND AT ANGLE OF LESS THAN 45* WITH RESPECT TO THE HORIZONTAL, AND SAID GUIDEWAY BEING INCLINED AT APPROXIMATELY A RIGHT ANGLE WITH RESPECT TO THE UPWARD EXTENSION OF THE CHUTE. 